Exploring online destination brand advocacy

ABSTRACT

This paper explores online brand advocacy (OBA) in a tourism destination context. Through a Social Influence Theory lens, it explores the ways in which residents and overseas tourists discuss Australia as a destination brand on social media. By analyzing a big dataset of social media user-generated content (UGC), this study sought to identify the key dimensions evident in positively valenced social media UGC, to see whether these dimensions varied between residents and overseas tourists, and to see whether the dimensions reflected OBA. The analyses found online destination brand advocacy (ODBA) had five dimensions: Destination Acknowledgement (hashtags), Destination Insights, Destination Positivity and Experience Sharing, Destination Brand Defence and Positive Virtual Visual Cues. The results have implications for the ways destination management organisations (DMOs) use social media. Suggestions for DMOs about incorporating ODBA in their marketing and branding strategies, are given at the conclusion of this paper. Some theoretical implications, specifically the need to further investigate ODBA, are also outlined.

KEYWORDS:

• Online destination brand advocacy
• OBA
• social influence theory
• user generated content
• destination branding

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Violetta Wilk

Violetta Wilk is a Lecturer in Digital Marketing at Edith Cowan University in Perth, Australia. Violetta has spent many years working in corporate marketing, research and advisory roles. Her current research projects involve: online brand advocacy (OBA), user-generated content, big data analysis, social media and digital marketing strategy. Violetta maintains strong industry engagement and is a Fellow, Mentor and Certified Practicing Marketer with the Australian Marketing Institute.

Saalem Sadeque

Saalem Sadeque is a Sessional Academic in the Department of Marketing in the Business School at The University of Western Australia. He has previously worked at the Central Queensland University (Perth campus) and at Edith Cowan University. Saalem’s research interests include destination and city branding, higher education branding, retailing and consumer marketing. He has published widely across business, marketing and management disciplines.

Geoffrey N. Soutar

Geoffrey N. Soutar is an Emeritus Professor in the Business School at the University of Western Australia. He is a Fellow and Life Member of the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management and was one of three academics appointed as an Inaugural Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy. Geoff has published more than 200 papers across a wide range of marketing and management areas.